1st in Caraga Region, PGMA signs law creating Caraga State U

Butuan City -- President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo today signed Republic Act 9854 or the Act Establishing the Caraga State University (CSU). The law integrates the Northern Mindanao State Institute of Science and Technology (NORMSIST) in this city, and the Northern Mindanao College of Science and Technology (NMCAST) in Cabadbaran, Agusan del Norte. The main campus will be in this city.

The signing ceremony, held at the NORMSIST Gym, was witnessed by about a thousand students who cheered the President.

In a brief speech, the President said access to quality education will ensure economic progress in Region 13, made up of the provinces of Agusan del Norte, Agusan del Sur, Dinagat Islands, Surigao del Norte, and Surigao del Sur as well as the cities of Butuan, Surigao, and Bislig. “Congratulations! This is the first state university in the Caraga region,” the President said in the Visayan dialect, adding that she first visited NORMSIST when she was still a senator.

Under the new law, the universities’ existing high schools will eventually be transferred to the Department of Education (DepEd). The high schools will, however, be allowed to remain and operate within the university campuses until the currently enrolled students have completed their high school education. The law also allows CSU to operate a reasonably sized laboratory school, if it opens a College of Education.

Meanwhile in Bayugan City, Agusan del Sur ,President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo formally opened Region 13 or CARAGA’s first corn processing and trading center during her visit here this afternoon. Built at a cost of P67.55-million, the Corn Post Harvest Processing Trading Center (CPHPTC) is the end product of a tie-up between the provincial government of Agusan del Sur and the National Agribusiness Corp., a Department of Agriculture-attached government-owned and-controlled operation.

Located on a four-hectare lot in Barangay Mabuhay here, CPHPTC will help increase productivity and lower production cost, resulting in increased profit for the farmers. It will thus contribute to the economic development of the whole province. Through a simplified buying and selling process, the center buys wet corn ears, in effect sparing the farmers the cost of drying and shelling. They are paid half of the prevailing price of the dry grain.

The President also turned over certificates for 18 units of corn shredders to Agusan del Sur Gov. Ma. Valentina Plaza and awarded Certificates of Graduation to the officers of eight rice farmers associations of Agusan del Sur who undertook field schooling given by the local government. The eight rice farmers association representing the 1,200 graduates are from Rosario, La Paz, Trento, Loreto, Esperanza, Prosperidad, Bayugan, and Bunawan.(PIA-Pagadian City)

PHILIP JAMES MONGAYA TREMEDAL
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2 US Parliament filed Resolution on the Maguindanao Massacre

By PJTremedal

With some connection from colleague at Global MSU’ans, Ms. Teresita Opaon-Ali, I posted this forwarded message from her with the 2 US Parliament who filed said resolution. This impart their statement on what had happened in our country and their help and support against the said massacre last November 23, 2009 in Maguindanao, Philippines.

We in the local media, the Mangagawang Media ng Mindanao anewly organized group of locasl working media, the National Union of Journalist of the Philippines(NUJP), the National Press Club(NPC), the Cagayan de Oro Press Club(COPC) , the Zamboanga del Sur –Pagadian City Press Club(ZPPI) and other media groups and individual media practitioners all over the country express our sympathy to those bereaved families of ourcolleague who had been killed and condemns the brutal killings of the Maguindanao Massacre. Thus, we say Stop Killing Jounalist!

Here is the said resolution:

US CONGRESS

Expressing sympathy for the 57 civilians who were killed in the southern Philippines on November 23

Whereas, on November 23, 2009, fifty-seven unarmed civilians were slain in Maguindanao in the worst politically motivated violence in the history of the Philippines;

Whereas those killed were on their way to file nomination papers on behalf of Ismael Mangudadatu, vice mayor of Buluan, who intended to run against Andal Ampatuan, Jr. who is currently mayor of Datu Unsay, in next year’s gubernatorial elections to succeed Andal Ampatuan, Sr. the father of Andal Ampatuan, Jr.;

Whereas many of those killed were women and children, including the wife of Vice Mayor Ismael Mangudadatu and his two sisters;

Whereas most of the women were reportedly raped and their bodies were mutilated after being shot;

Whereas as of December 2, 2009, initial charges have been filed in connection with the massacre, according to press reports;

Whereas, the Freedom Fund for Filipino Journalists reports that at least 30 journalists and media workers were killed in the Maguindanao massacre;

Whereas, the Committee to Protect Journalists reports that prior to the Maguindanao massacre, 30 journalists had been killed in the Philippines since 2000, and suspects were prosecuted in no more than 4 cases, putting into question the safety of journalists and the integrity of independent journalism in the Philippines;

Whereas government prosecutors and judges with jurisdiction over the massacre have allegedly received threats and have been told to “go slow” on the investigation;
Whereas President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo declared a state of emergency in Maguindanao the day after the massacre, vowing that “no effort will be spared to bring justice to the victims;”

Whereas extrajudicial killings and election-related violence are common in the Philippines, though never on this scale and rarely with this level of brutality; and

Whereas the United States and the Philippines share a strong friendship based on shared history and commitment to democracy and freedom; Now, therefore, be it

Resolved, That the House/Senate

(1) Regrets the senseless killing of unarmed civilians and expresses its deepest condolences to the families of the 57 victims;

(2) Condemns the culture of impunity that continues to exist among clans, politicians, armed elements and other persons of influence in the Philippines;

(3) calls for a thorough, transparent, and independent investigation and prosecution of those who are responsible for the massacre, including those who committed the killings and anyone who may have ordered them, and that the proceedings be conducted with the highest possible level of professionalism, impartiality and regard for witness protection to assure the Filipino people that all the responsible persons are brought to justice;

(4) Calls for an end to extrajudicial killings and election-related violence;

(5) Calls for freedom of press and the safety of the reporters investigating the massacre;

(6) Urges the Departments of State and Justice and other U.S. government agencies to review their assistance programs to the government of the Philippines, and to offer any technical assistance, such as forensics support, that Philippine authorities may request; and

(7) Reaffirms the United States’ commitment to working alongside Philippines authorities to combat corruption, terrorism, and security threats.

By:

HOWARD BERMAN

Member of Congress

and

CHRIS SMITH

Member of Congress

PHILIP JAMES MONGAYA TREMEDAL
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MAZA HITS POLITICAL PERSECUTION, ASKS COMELEC TO JUNK BASELESS PETITION FOR DISQUALIFICATION AGAINST HER BID FOR THE SENATE

“The instant petition is clearly and utterly baseless and therefore serves no other purpose than to harass me and waste the valuable time of the COMELEC. Apart from the mere citation of the applicable provision of the law on disqualifications, the Petition actually cites no ground upon which disqualification must be based, hence, the Petition must be dismissed,” said Senatorial candidate Rep. Liza Maza of Gabriela Women’s Party during a hearing today at COMELEC on a petition for disqualification against her.

According to Maza, that the petitioner’s claims are unsubstantiated by credible evidence and all that he offers to prove them is his self-serving sworn statement. The complaint was filed by a certain Genesis F. Castillo, a resident of Oriental Mindoro and an allegedly self-confessed former NPA member.

“The petitioner’s sworn statement and the storyline therein contained appears to be no different from stories of false witnesses against me and my colleagues in cases that have been dismissed by courts of law and by no less than the Supreme Court in one instance--- that which became to be known as the Batasan 6 case---which the Supreme Court considered as a politically motivated case,” Maza said.

“All the fabricated charges, false and malicious lies and endless red-baiting since 2001 are part of the whole government choreography to continue discrediting us and to keep us from taking seats in Congress. Now that I am vying for a Senatorial seat, it is not surprising that they are more aggressive and desperate in trying to disqualify me and other progressive candidates like Satur Ocampo,” Maza stressed.

Maza also asked COMELEC to see to it that the likes of Petitioner who mock the Honorable Commission’s processes be accordingly sanctioned.(PR)

PHILIP JAMES MONGAYA TREMEDAL
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PLAZA CALLS FOR DRASTIC MEASURES TO SAFEGUARD SEA-FARING PUBLIC

Agusan del Sur Rep. Rodolfo “Ompong” Plaza recently urged “drastic” measures against concerned government agencies for their failure to safeguard the lives of the sea-faring public.

The graduating congressman now eyeing a senate seat said that it was not enough that top officials of the Department of Transportation and Communications (DOTC), Marina, Coast Guard be dismissed from their post but also be made criminally liable for the recent sea tragedy that claimed the lives of at least sixty people.

He urged survivors of the sunken Ro-Ro vessel, MV Baleno 9 to file a class suit against the ship owners and officials of government implementing agencies for negligence and dereliction of duty.

He also called for the immediate inspection of all passenger seagoing vessels in the wake of frequent sea mishaps that had so far occurred in the country and the decommissioning of defective ships.

He said that this kind of vigilance in the shipping industry would only be good for his constituents in Agusan del Sur who mostly go by ships on their way to Manila and other destinations but to all the sea-going public throughout the country.

As congressman for nine consecutive years, Plaza had notched a niche for himself as a protector of the consuming as well as the riding public. He authored House Bill No. 5942, seeking to safeguard 12 million households nationwide from unregulated and unsafe LPG tanks.

PHILIP JAMES MONGAYA TREMEDAL
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